Apparatus for Folding, Stacking and Storing Bedsheets

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for folding cloth articles, such as bed sheets and the like, for stacking and storing by providing a rigid or semi rigid apparatus to be folded and incorporated with the folded sheets.

INDEX TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/914,805, filed Apr. 30, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for folding cloth articles such as bed sheets and the like for stacking and storing by providing a rigid or semi rigid apparatus to be folded and incorporated with the folded sheets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A bed sheet is a large piece of cotton or linen cloth used to cover a mattress. It is this sheet that one typically lies on. Bed sheets come in two main varieties—flat or fitted. A flat bed sheet is simply a rectangular sheet of cloth, while a fitted bed sheet has its four corners sewn fitted with elastic.

Bed sheets and similar items such as bedspreads, curtains and table cloths are usually folded into an attractive, dense package, with the label of the product exposed for inspection by the potential customer. Sometimes the sheet is wrapped in a transparent package.

Various techniques have been developed for folding sheets, including various hand and automatic techniques. For example, a sheet may be folded across its length, then across its width, and again across its length, or a sheet may be folded several times across its width to form an elongated shape, and then folded several times across its length. In some instances, particularly when automated folding equipment is utilized, a sheet may be wound in a tube, the tube flattened, and then the flattened tube folded across its length.

After the sheet is removed from the manufacturers packaging, hand folding of sheets and the like is common for storage. The hand folding is cumbersome, and does not allow for a plurality of articles to be easily stacked and stored because the sheets lack rigidity and there is no structural support for a stack of sheets.

The present invention provides an apparatus and method that has recognized the difficulty relating to the lack of structural support in the stacking and storage of sheets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an apparatus and method for folding, stacking, and storing cloth articles. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus for folding cloth articles, said article comprising:

-   -   at least one substantially rigid rectangular body with at least         one preformed fold mechanism incorporated therein.

The apparatus may also be for folding cloth articles, said apparatus comprising:

at least one substantially rigid rectangular body with at least one fold mechanism incorporated therein.

The apparatus may have more than one rigid rectangular body, wherein the rigid rectangular bodies are interconnected at a fold. The fold mechanism may be a living hinge or a mechanical hinge.

In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus has an attaching mechanism on each corner for securing the apparatus to a cloth article. The attaching mechanism may be a clip or other suitable mechanism on each corner for securing the apparatus to a cloth article.

The cloth article may include, but would not be limited to a bed sheet, blanket, towel, table cloth, drape, or a furniture cover. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus is used with a fitted bed sheet.

In another preferred embodiment, the body portion is semi rigid or rigid and has a thickness of between 0.1 and 2.0 cm.

Further contemplated is a method for stacking and storing cloth articles comprising of consisting of the steps of:

a. placing an embodiment of the apparatus described herein with a cloth article;

b. folding the apparatus and article wherein the article folds simultaneously with the apparatus;

c. stacking at least two folded cloth articles with the apparatus folded therein.

In a preferred embodiment, the method is for stacking and storing fitted bed sheets and is accomplished by placing the apparatus in the interior cavity of a fitted bed sheet and folding the apparatus simultaneously with the fitted sheet.

Also contemplated is a method for stacking and storing cloth articles by securing the article with clips to a planer cloth article and folding the apparatus simultaneously with the cloth article.

The apparatus may include more than one rectangular body, and may further be a plurality of bodies, wherein the rigid rectangular bodies are interconnected at a fold. The interconnection may be with hooks, springs, cloth, or any manner of attaching the bodies one to another.

The apparatus of the present invention is contemplated to be used with any cloth article including a bed sheet (fitted bed sheet and unfitted bed sheet), blanket, towel, table cloth, drape, curtain, seat cover, and the like.

The apparatus may be constructed of any material suitable for accomplishing the desired use. These may include, but would not be limited to, paper, paperboard, cardboard, plastic, polymers, composites, metals, or combinations of any of these materials.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a folder apparatus that folds with cloth articles such as bed sheets and similar articles to provide structural support for sheets that are stacked. The apparatus may have a living fold, which is a fold line or portion that is fixed into a position and incorporated into the body of the apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which expediently and reliably folds with cloth articles such as bed sheets and similar articles such that the individual articles are folded to a substantially similar configuration.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for folding cloth articles such as bed sheets and similar items that is easy to use, simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a standard mattress with a fitted sheet on the mattress.

FIG. 2 is the underside of a standard fitted bed sheet with the apparatus inside the interior space of the fitted bed sheet.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section cutaway view of the apparatus inside the interior space of the fitted bed sheet.

FIG. 4 is the folding of a fitted bed sheet with the apparatus contained therein.

FIG. 5 is a folded bed sheet with the apparatus contained therein.

FIG. 6 is a stacking arrangement of a plurality of fitted bed sheets with the apparatus contained therein.

FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the apparatus with fold lines.

FIG. 8 is an embodiment of the apparatus showing a plurality of connected sections.

FIG. 9 depicts the insertion of the apparatus embodiment with a plurality of sections contained within a bed sheet.

FIG. 10 depicts the insertion and initial fold of the apparatus embodiment with a plurality of sections contained within a bed sheet.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing the apparatus inserted within several stacked bed sheets.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment with four sections and fold lines.

FIG. 13 shows the underside of the article placed within the inner periphery of a non-fitted bed sheet.

FIG. 14 shows the embodiment with clips that grasp a sheet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Although the preferred embodiment recites “sheet” the inventors contemplate the apparatus and method may be used with any similar cloth articles including but not limited to blankets, towels, table clothes, drapes, curtains furniture covers, and the like. Inventors contemplate all other similar cloth or cloth like articles may be used with the apparatus and method of the current invention.

A conventional mattress 1, typically is covered with fitted sheet 2. Apparatus 3 is configured to fit within the internal peripheral cavity of a conventional fitted sheet 2. In one embodiment, apparatus 3 as a plurality of fold lines along edge 5 that create a living hinge, by which the apparatus may be folded.

Alternatively, the apparatus may include a plurality of sections in which edge 5 is connected to an adjacent edge with a mechanical hinge 4. When apparatus 3 is in position with in the inner periphery of fitted sheet 2, surface region 6 is visible and exposed.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, apparatus 9 may have clips 8 that grasp a non-fitted cloth article 7 such as a non-fitted sheet, towel, blanket, and the like.

The present invention comprises an apparatus 3 that is a rigid or semi-rigid body that may be sized to fit any standard fitted bed sheet. A fitted bed sheet 2 has elastic encompassing each of the (4) four corners, and has an interior portion accessible from the underside of the sheet. Apparatus 3 is placed in an unfolded state within the interior portion of bed sheet 2 (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 11). Preferably apparatus 3 is configured to be of such size that bed sheet 2 is stretched when the article is placed in the interior of the sheet. The apparatus 2 must have sufficient thickness to carry out the intended function, but not prohibitively thick. Preferably, the apparatus is between 0.1 and 2.0 cm thick in the unfolded state.

Once apparatus 3 is placed in the interior of sheet 2, the article is folded and subsequently folds the sheet along with the folded article (see FIGS. 4, 5, 9, and 9 a). The article may have (1) one or more folds along edge 5 that compact the sheet and fold it a uniform size. It is further contemplated that bed sheets folded and compacted to a uniform size configuration will be easily stackable and stored (see FIGS. 5, 6, and 10). The rigidity of apparatus 3 provides structural stability for a plurality of stacked sheets, such that they do not topple or fall when stacked and stored.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, apparatus 9 has clips 8 on each of the four corners. Each clip 8 is configured to grasp a corner of a bed sheet 7 and thus allowing the bed sheet to be folded with apparatus 9. This particular configuration is useful because its use would not be limited to fitted bed sheets. In this configuration sheets that are not fitted, which typically do not have elastic edges, may also be folded and stacked in a stacking arrangement in the same manner as fitted bed sheets. In this embodiment, apparatus 9 may be used for fitted or unfitted sheets, blankets, towels and the like. Although this embodiment is shown in FIG. 14 with a hinge to facilitate folding, it is also contemplated that a living hinge incorporated in the body of the apparatus may also be used.

In another alternative embodiment, the apparatus is a rigid or semi rigid frame that folds with the sheet to provide structural support for stacking a plurality of sheets. The frame may be a single frame, or a plurality of frames arranged and interconnected to accomplish the goal of providing internal structural support for the folding, stacking and storage of sheets.

In an embodiment depicted in FIG. 12, the apparatus has fold lines A and B that divide the apparatus into 4 quadrants I, II, III, and IV. The apparatus is folded along fold line A such that quadrant I is folded onto quadrant IV and quadrant II is folded onto quadrant III. The apparatus is then folded a second time such that all four quadrants are within the perimeter of a single rectangular region.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. An apparatus for folding cloth articles, said apparatus comprising: at least one substantially rigid rectangular body with at least one fold mechanism incorporated therein.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 with more than one rigid rectangular body, wherein said rigid rectangular bodies are interconnected at a fold.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fold mechanism is a living hinge.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fold mechanism is a mechanical hinge.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an attaching mechanism on each corner for securing the apparatus to a cloth article.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a clip on each corner for securing the apparatus to a cloth article.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cloth article is a bed sheet, blanket, towel, table cloth, drape, or a furniture cover.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cloth article is a fitted bed sheet.
 9. An apparatus for folding a fitted bed sheet comprising: a. a body portion that is semi rigid or rigid; said body portion having a thickness of between 0.1 and 2.0 cm, said body portion further comprising at one least mechanism to fold the apparatus.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the mechanism to fold is a living hinge.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the mechanism to fold is a mechanical hinge.
 12. A method for stacking and storing cloth articles comprising of consisting of the steps of: a. placing an apparatus according to claim 1 with a cloth article; b. folding said apparatus and cloth article wherein said cloth article folds simultaneously with said apparatus; c. stacking at least two folded cloth articles with the apparatus folded therein.
 13. The method for stacking and storing cloth articles of claim 12 wherein the placing of the apparatus with a cloth article comprises placing the article in the interior cavity of a fitted bed sheet.
 14. The method for stacking and storing cloth articles of claim 12 wherein the placing of the apparatus with a cloth article comprises securing the article with clips to a planer cloth article. 